The Flagship Journal and its Role in Advancing New Knowledge and the Field of Inquiry

Abstract

Why do we need journals? What purpose do they serve? A standard answer to these questions is that journals provide reports of the latest research and in doing so become the main vehicles for advancing new knowledge in a given field. Another common answer is that if a journal adheres to rigorous scientific standards in the selection and publication of articles, it helps legitimate the academic field being served. Thus, adherence to meticulous theoretical and methodological standards by a journal makes a legitimate focus of scientific inquiry and allows us to move beyond armchair speculation and mere conjecture about leisure.Following rigorous scientific standards for the acceptance of papers also suggests a third answer to the question about the potential value of a journal, namely that a flagship journal may serve an important political function. In the case of leisure, it can legitimize the analysis of and enhance the field s respectability in the larger academic community. After all, the journal model for reporting new information is the model that most academic fields follow. Of course, cynics might say that we are selling out and merely playing the academic game of publish-or-perish.Finally, some advocates argue that a journal has a larger mission than simply reporting the latest theoretical and empirical research. They contend that a flagship journal must be an agent of change, proactive and give direction to research so that big socially relevant issues, such as dealing with a society's leisure problems, will be systematically addressed by scholars, researchers and ultimately policy-makers. I'll explore these issues on the basis of the long and distinguished record of our flagship journal, the Journal ofLeisure Research (JLR).Reporting New Research and KnowledgeFor being the first and lone journal of research for some years, JLR, by its mere existence has made a major contribution to the development of new knowledge in the field by giving voice to researchers. JLR created a demand for research outlets that triggered the birth of a host of other journals. Together with JLR, these other journals are important outlets for the reporting of cutting-edge research and knowledge on behavior. Having a half a dozen and more journals devoted to is also encouraging because it reflects the need for more outlets among researchers and scholars who are interested in studying the phenomenon in its various forms.What, then, is the best model for a journal, especially a flagship journal? the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) the model that JLR should follow? While NEJM publishes mainly research on physiological and biological processes, its scope is very broad. For example, it has also published research on the relationship between dementia and behavior. On the whole, it reports empirical studies on a wide variety of phenomena related to human health. this what JLR as the leading journal should do with respect to leisure? That is, should the journal publish anything on as long as the papers meet stringent scientific standards? Taking this approach, JLR might appear to be a rather passive outlet, basically reporting what researchers have to offer. While it is true that any journal is somewhat at the mercy of researchers, a question could be asked: Is it appropriate for a journal to take a more proactive role in directing research to some areas deemed generally important or perhaps underrepresented?Compared to leading journals in other fields, it appears that JLR has been much more proactive than many. Numerous special issues have been published over the years on specific topics, and in so doing the result has been to encourage more research in these areas. However, there are limits to how often such special issues can be published because of the quarterly publication of JLR. Too frequent (and even controversial) special issues may not be in the best interests of a flagship journal as such issues and lack of space for regular research could drive researchers to other outlets. …